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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Meatless Monday: Salads!

With the heat wave here in the UK (and for my friends and family in the states experiencing similar weather-related circumstances), who wants to spend hours in the kitchen? I thought it would be good to recommend a few salads (my current obsession) to keep cool and well-nourished during this time. So here are my meatless monday suggestions for this week:

Bulgar and Bean Salad
(Includes 2 types of beans so it's good on the protein front. It also includes kohlrabi - a good source of Vitamin C, as well as magnesium and phosphorous, which are useful in the absorption of calcium. As the UK kohl rabi season normally runs from July to November you might start seeing it in your veg boxes.)

1. Cover borlotti beans with water and leave to soak over night. The next day, drain and transfer them to a saucepan with fresh water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook the beans until soft, but not mushy, about 1 1/2 hours.

2. Heat the veg stock. Put bulgar wheat in largish bowl and pour the stock over it, and leave to stand about 1 hour, or until soft.

3. Wash string beans and pinch off ends. Halve the beans and steam for about 7 minutes, or until firm to the bite. Drain and run under cold water and leave to drain again.

4. Peel the kohlrabi, cut first into 1/4 inch thick slices, then into strips of that thickness. Wash and cut the bell pepper into thin strips.

5. In a skillet, heat 2 TBSPs of oil. Stir in the kohlrabi and the pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the string beans and fry for 2 minutes more.

6. Combine the orange juice with the vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, pepper and cumin then beat in the remaining oil. Drain the beans, combine with the bulgar, vegetables and dressing. Check seasoning. Best to marinate 1-2 hours, but not necessary. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley into salad just before eating.

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